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New York Times
28-02-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
West Bank Operation Tests Palestinian Leaders' Ability to Root Out Militants
The Palestinian Authority was carrying out one of the most extensive security operations in its history, pursuing armed militants in the West Bank city of Jenin. For weeks, the authority's forces slowly advanced on the militants' densely populated stronghold, Palestinian officials said. When the Israeli military launched its own wide-scale raid there in January, the authority was expected to abandon its operation. But it did not. Instead, when dozens of militants fled to nearby villages, Palestinian security forces swooped in to arrest them, officials said. 'We made very important progress in reinforcing law and order,' Brig. Gen. Anwar Rajab, the spokesman for the authority's security forces, said in a phone interview. The authority, which has limited governing powers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, had for years largely ceded the fight against militants to Israel. But as questions swirl over whether it can take on governance and security in Gaza, the group's leaders appear eager to demonstrate that they will not shy away from fighting — even if it means angering Palestinians who say the authority is abetting an operation that is destroying large parts of the West Bank and displacing tens of thousands. Jenin, and in particular the Jenin camp, a sprawling neighborhood built for refugees in the aftermath of the 1948 Israeli-Arab war, had become a haven for Iran-backed armed fighters from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Over the years, they have grown more sophisticated in their ability to develop explosives and obtain advanced weaponry, like M16 rifles smuggled from Israel. Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an attack on Israel that started the war in Gaza, Israel has carried out scores of raids in the West Bank, including with airstrikes, killing many civilians. Israel says it carries out these raids in accordance with international law. The authority mostly avoided a direct confrontation with the militants, trying to encourage them to turn themselves in. But in December, the authority decided to take more forceful action. Security forces had arrested an Islamic Jihad operative while he was picking up tens of thousands of dollars smuggled into the West Bank, according to Palestinian officials. The New York Times spoke to more than a dozen Palestinian officials about the operations in Jenin. They all spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations and operational plans. The militants responded by hijacking two government trucks and parading through the city, in a scene caught on video and widely shared on social media. The episode was a stark representation of the authority's weakness: It was broad daylight and the trucks were draped in the flags of Islamic Jihad and Hamas. The authority's leader, Mahmoud Abbas, was so enraged that he felt he had to act immediately after he saw the video, according to Palestinian officials. The authority deployed elite forces and armored vehicles; it set up checkpoints and engaged in daily gun battles with militants in the camp. More than a dozen people were killed, including six security officers, a journalist, a woman and three teenage boys. It also led to the displacement of thousands and widespread losses of water and power. Hundreds of people were arrested, Gen. Rajab said at a news conference in January, though it was unclear how many were gunmen. The authority was cautious about making hasty moves on the militants, wary that could lead to a large number of civilian deaths, according to officials. After weeks in which the authority struggled to make progress in its operation, Israel raided Jenin. It was widely assumed that the authority's operation would end, but Palestinian security chiefs stayed in Jenin, directing intelligence-based arrest operations in nearby villages, some of the Palestinian officials said. The chiefs recently pulled back to Ramallah, the administrative headquarters for the authority, but arrest operations continue around Jenin, the officials said. In the days after Israel raided the city, the authority's security forces arrested 120 gunmen who had left the camp, General Rajab said on Wednesday. The extent to which the authority and Israel have been coordinating on this operation is unclear. Both sides have long shared information and worked to avoid running into each other, several Palestinian officials said, a policy that many Palestinians have criticized. General Rajab would only say that the authority was doing 'what it needed to do' in Jenin. In the face of criticism from Palestinians, the authority has said that many of the militants have criminal backgrounds. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said at a news briefing in January that Israel and the authority maintained de-confliction protocols 'to make sure we don't get in each other's way,' but he did not go into detail about how that has worked in Jenin. Israel's recent operation has inflicted some of the most severe damage in years, ripping up roads, demolishing dozens of buildings and killing more than 25 people in the broader Jenin area, according to the authority's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister, has vowed that the military will remain there long term, raising alarm among authority officials. Israel's military has said it killed dozens of militants across several cities in the northern West Bank. The authority has refused to step away from its operation in Jenin, arguing that it must seize every opportunity to subdue the militants, whom it has accused of giving Israel pretext to destroy the city. That has hardly raised its standing among residents of the West Bank, who broadly see it as a corrupt entity that colludes with Israel. Many Palestinians also see the armed groups in Jenin as fighting for them against forces occupying the West Bank. 'They are two sides of the same coin,' said Shadi Abu Samen, 47, a resident of the Jenin camp, referring to Israel and the authority. In phone interviews with The New York Times, militants in the Jenin Brigade of Islamic Jihad said they had taken up weapons to confront Israeli soldiers raiding their neighborhood. Abu Mohammed, a member of the brigade, said he believed the authority and Israel were pursuing a similar goal: 'Eradicate the resistance and its spirit.' 'They want us to surrender but we won't accept that,' said Abu Mohammed, 33, using his nom de guerre. The Times spoke to Abu Mohammed before Israel's latest operation in Jenin and has since been unable to reach him. Some Palestinian analysts said that the focus on security wouldn't be enough if neither Israel nor the authority made any attempt to improve living conditions as well. 'We're talking about a place that lacks so many basic resources,' said Ibrahim Dalalsha, the director of the Horizon Center, a Palestinian research group in Ramallah. 'Any security operation needs to be accompanied by a social, economic, development operation.' Civilians have paid a clear price for the operations. Almost all of the residents of the Jenin camp have been displaced over the past two months, according to the United Nations. 'We're living through a violent storm,' said Hilal Jalamneh, 50, a resident of the camp. 'The last bit of hope we were holding on to is now gone.'
See - Sada Elbalad
20-02-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Trump Halts US Aid to Palestinian Security Forces
The Trump administration has suspended all financial aid to the Palestinian Authority's security forces, as part of its broader freeze on foreign assistance, according to a report by The Washington Post, citing both US and Palestinian officials. The funding halt comes at a critical time for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is struggling to maintain security control in parts of the occupied West Bank while also positioning itself for a potential governance role in post-war Gaza. Despite chronic underfunding, the Palestinian security forces play a key role in maintaining law and order in both the West Bank and Gaza, the report noted. While the US previously cut direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority during Trump's first term, it continued supporting training and security sector reforms. This was carried out through the Office of the U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC) in Jerusalem, an international body responsible for overseeing security training efforts. Palestinian security spokesperson Anwar Rajab told The Washington Post that the US had been a major donor to PA-led projects, including security training and force development programs. A former Israeli official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, suggested that the funding cut would not have a significant impact on the Palestinian security forces, as other donors had stepped in to fill the gap. According to a senior Palestinian security officer, the funding halt has already led to reductions in training programs, particularly at the Palestinian Authority's Central Training Institute. A planned meeting between Palestinian officials and US counterparts to assess PA-led counterinsurgency operations in Jenin Refugee Camp—which were put on hold following Israel's recent military incursion—has also been postponed indefinitely. Additionally, the US had been funding the development of a virtual shooting range for Palestinian security forces, a crucial resource given that Israel prohibits the import of live ammunition for training. With the project nearly completed, Palestinian officials are now seeking alternative funding sources due to the American aid freeze.
Middle East Eye
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Trump administration cuts all funding to Palestinian security forces
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration has entirely cut off funding for the Palestinian Authority's (PA) security forces, according to both American and Palestinian officials. The security forces are widely unpopular amongst Palestinians for their collaboration with Israeli forces in targeting Palestinian groups resisting the occupation. Brigadier General Anwar Rajab, spokesperson for the Palestinian security forces, told The Washington Post that the United States had been a 'major donor to PA projects', which included security initiatives and training programmes aimed at strengthening the forces. The Israeli army reportedly expressed satisfaction with a recent operation conducted by PA forces in the Jenin refugee camp, according to the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA). Since December, operations by the PA security forces under Israeli military oversight have involved approximately 300 armed personnel targeting resistance groups. Israel's Central Command has recommended strengthening the PA's security apparatus and increasing coordination. Following this advice, the Israeli security cabinet instructed the army to bolster its collaboration with PA forces. The PA's operations are carried out in collaboration with Israel and under its oversight.
Roya News
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Trump administration freezes funding to Palestinian Authority
The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration has halted all financial support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces as part of a global freeze on foreign assistance, according to US and Palestinian sources. This decision comes at a crucial moment for the PA, which is grappling with maintaining control in parts of the West Bank and navigating governance in a postwar Gaza Strip. The PA's security forces, often underfunded and facing widespread unpopularity, are vital for sustaining law and order across both regions. During Trump's first term, direct aid to the PA was suspended, but funding for training and reform of the security forces continued through the Office of the Security Coordinator in Jerusalem. This office, previously known as the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) for "Israel" and the PA, operates with contributions from multiple countries. Brig. Gen. Anwar Rajab, spokesperson for the Palestinian security forces, remarked to The Washington Post that the US was a significant contributor to PA projects, including security and empowerment training for the forces. An unnamed former Israeli Occupation official stated that the USSC remains 'not affected in any meaningful way' by the funding freeze, noting that 'other donors have committed to make up the shortfall.' However, the freeze has already resulted in reductions in some training programs, according to a colonel who oversees training at the PA's Central Training Institute for security forces. This colonel, who also spoke under conditions of anonymity, highlighted that a meeting with US representatives to evaluate the PA's operations targeting militants in the Jenin refugee camp had been postponed and remains unscheduled. The US had also been funding the construction of a virtual shooting range for the institute, which is essential since "Israel" restricts the importation of live ammunition for training. Although the project was nearing completion, the institute is now seeking alternative funding sources due to the US freeze.
